Lady in Red
by saye0036
Summary: Bond has a rough day at the office and goes to a bar to unwind. A lady in red walks in and changes his entire evening, possibly his life.


He sat in the shaded corner of the hotel bar and nursed his second vodka martini.

Bond's mission tanked and he endured ninety minutes of scolding from M, with Tanner nodding his head and grimacing the entire time.

Bond answered M whenever she contained her irritated tirade enough to actually listen to him. Damn she was an annoying woman.

Bond was sitting in the lounge of the hotel trying to decide if he even wanted female companionship for the evening, when a lady in red entered and took a seat at the bar.

James Bond had seen beautiful women around the world, but none made his heart physically skip a beat like this one did. Not a single man didn't pause to stare at her, as she entered the lounge. She was a confident woman, not afraid to own the vibrant colour she wore.

What was she doing here? Alone? A woman like her...should never be alone. It was good for him; his night was about to get a lot more interesting.

Bond just watched from the corner for a time. Her back was too him and he enjoyed the view. The red dress that she wore was casual and hugged across her curves while modestly came to her mid calf. The matching red pumps added to the look. Her red nails tapped nervously on her glass, as her eyes scanned around the bar and to the entrance every few minutes.

The beauty in red was waiting for someone. A date perhaps. To bad for him, he was late and Bond was about to insert himself into her evening.

He finished his drink and walked up beside her and leaned his back against the bar, as he turned towards her. "Come here often?"

The lady in red was shocked by his sudden appearance. Her eyes went wide and her brows arched attractively. She then narrowed them suspiciously and took a sip of her red wine.

"No I do not. Do you...Mr.?"

"Bond, James Bond. And only on occasion." Her eyes were a stunning shade of blue and her lips a vibrant red. The momentary shock had given way to an amused twinkle, from his less than creative old line of introduction.

"What occasion brought you here this evening, Mr. Bond." The silky, seductive way his name passed her red lips was a thrill. He loved it when they pretended they weren't going to play along, yet they did. They always do. To have her play along was beyond seductive.

"I was wondering that myself, just a few moments before you came into the bar. What would your name be this evening, beautiful?"

"Louisa Johnson. So now that you know, why are you here Mr. Bond?" Her brows arched in question.

"Because I will be taking you home, Louisa...Johnson is it?"

The lady in red paused and sipped her drink, after she chuckled. "No. I'm waiting for my date. You may be an attractive man, and while you may think you're charming, you are not."

"Madame, you wound me." Bond pulled his fist to his heart, as though she had shot him. He would not have her here alone like this. It wasn't safe and she wouldn't be going home alone.

"I doubt a woman could ever truly wound you, Mr. Bond."

"Really, you should meet the woman I work for...she's an ace at it."

"How progressive. A female boss and you, you have enough money for Tom Ford suits and this hotel. I imagine you work for a very interesting firm...perhaps legal? Please tell me you're not a banker."

"Insurance. But I prefer to talk about you, the lady in red."

"I'm not that interesting."

"I think you are. Besides a red dress draws attention, so you must have been prepared for someone to react."

"Yes, but not from you."

"Granted; but still, I will escort you home."

"What? No, I'm fine here and I'm waiting on my date."

"Who is late, or foolishly not coming at all."

"Stop, Mr. Bond. You are trying too hard. Have another drink and relax. I will not be leaving until I'm good and ready."

Bond nodded to the bartender and motioned with his fingers to bring two more drinks to them.

"Good, I hope that means that there is still a chance for me?"

The lady in red was suddenly overcome with laughter. More so than was warranted by that remark. Bond frowned.

The bartender returned with a martini and another glass of red wine. She looked to the door and down at the elegant silver watch on her slim wrist. Her sigh told Bond that he was right about her date being late.

"How long have you been dating this one? Or is this the first time?"

"You certainly want a lot of information from someone you've intruded on Mr. Bond."

"Yes well, insurance sales. We have to be chatty."

"I bet you're very good at reeling in clients. How are you with crisis management and claims?"

Bond's eyebrows peaked as he considered her question. "I'm amazing at crisis management but my boss, she deals with all the actionable claims."

"So is that why she hates you?"

"Yes and no." Bond adds, while taken aback at her use of such strong terminology.

"Which is it? Yes or no?"

"I personally think she loves me, I'm very irresistible, as you can imagine."

"Oh, can imagine a lot of things, but that is a bit of a stretch."

"You slay me madame. For if I am not irresistible, why are you still sitting here enjoying a drink with me?"

"Boredom. Pure and simple."

"He is a complete moron."

"What? Who?"

"The man who stood you up."

"Oh, that."

"Yes, that. You see, I told you I was irresistible. You can't even remember that you are here to meet someone else. I've addled you more than the wine."

"Be careful about calling the object you are attempting to foolishly seduce, addled. The connotations are poor and condescending. Amateurish even."

"I can assure you that I am not at all amateurish where it counts."

"The last defence of the verbally beaten. Alluding to prowess in bed does nothing for women, it is all conjecture on your part and a willingness for the female to expend energy and time, all to be disappointed in the end."

"I can see that walking on coals is easier than talking you into anything adventurous. Beyond wearing a red dress and matching pumps, that is."

"Adventurous? You do think highly of yourself. Do the young women fall for such things? Or do you blind with them with your looks, only to be mediocre where it counts? I think the very attractive are lacking, not really working hard enough at anything to make it worthwhile."

"Ouch."

"Let's just leave it all to imagination then, because everything is better in our imaginations." The lady in red said, as she finished her wine and stood up. She turned suddenly and walked out the door.

Bond took the hint and paid the tab and quickly followed her outside. Coming up and grabbing her elbow, as he handed the valet his card.

The woman in red, Louisa...the name did nothing for her really. Looked shocked and stared down at where he was touching her arm.

"I don't remember giving you permission to touch me Mr. Bond."

Bond pulled his hand off her elbow like he had been burnt.

"I'm sorry madame but you require escort home and I will not take no for an answer. So if you don't want me to kiss you soundly right here in public, while speaking words of loud vocal admiration for your physical appearance; M you will just let me drive you home."

The game dropped as the reality of the situation took over for both of them.

"007 that is quite enough, this evening is ruined enough already. I don't need you making a juvenile scene on top of everything else."

The valet appeared in the DB 5 and Bond opened the passenger door for M. She gave him an appraising look before taking her seat.

Bond smirked and closed the door. Rounding the car he tossed some money to the valet and climbed in.

He turned to look at M with her bright red lipstick and smiled. "And here I thought my night would be boring."

"What? It is now. If you insist on driving me home rather than picking up a woman to get lost in for a few hours, 007."

Bond frowned. "I would rather spend it with the lady in red."

"Pshaw...I seriously have my doubts about that after today."

"You're all I've been thinking of since your dressing down today."

"I find that hard to believe."

"I find it hard to believe that you're so damn stubborn, that you can't see that I've wanted to take you to bed since the moment I first saw you. It has nothing to do with power plays, nor inappropriate mother son couplings either."

M turns her face away to look out the window. She was suddenly felt very shy and didn't know how to respond to his admission.

"Who was the idiot you were waiting for M?"

"Bond. You...don't know him...never mind." M sighed as her cheeks grew red from embarrassment and the wine.

"He's a bloody fool."

"Or not. I can be difficult. He knows this."

"Not a idiot from the ministry is it? He would only ever be able to call you M, or a code name like Louisa."

"Yes...so what is it to you!? I've waited long enough...he's been gone…"

"M. I'm sorry I brought it up. I will never mention it again and yes, you have definitely waited the right amount of time."

"Good. Now that we agree on that, is there a chance you will leave me outside my flat and just drive yourself home?"

"Not bloody likely."

"Bond...do I have to actually call security?"

"You can if you wish but I can beat them all. Besides you flirted with me at the bar and I'm doing my duty, seeing you home this late. You can at least invite me in for a drink."

"One drink."

"One drink and a kiss."

"This is not a negotiation Bond!"

"Bullshit! The two of us have never done anything without negotiation M, and that is not about to stop. Not now that I've seen you in that red dress."

"I promise you...I'll…"

"What M? Fire me? Why for thinking about you...and how you would feel…"

"007! Stop it!"

"I want you M."

"You can't."

"You don't get to decide that. You only get to decide if you will let me in tonight and take the risk of a goodnight kiss before you kick me out the door."

M shook her head and rolled her eyes at him as they arrived outside her flat.

Bond came around and opened the door for her, helping her climb out of the seat and holding her arm as they climbed the stairs to the door.

M opened the door, ignoring Bond completely as she kicked off her pumps and pulled off her heavy earrings placing them in a dish on the hall table with her keys.

Bond followed her into the living room and to the bar. She poured two martini's handing one to him and taking the other to the sofa. Bond followed and sat down in a chair across from her.

M pulled her legs up under her, as she leaned against the arm and took a sip. "Well?"

Bond just silently stared at her, a vision in red as his vision turned to red. He wanted her, this was becoming very clear and urgent to him.

"Bond? What have you to say for yourself intruding on my evening like that? Did Q or Tanner tell you where I would be?"

"No."

"No...is that all you have to say, for this insubordinate act?"

"No."

"Oh, very good 007, I see you have become rather monosyllabic are you in such fear for your job then that you've finally seen the errors of your ways?"

"NO...damn it!" He says as he leans forward suddenly after downing his drink and placing the glass forcefully on the table. His head leaning across the table towards her. "It's not folly, it's the bloody truth! I've wanted you for years! Tanner nor Q mentioned where you were but maybe you knew where I liked to go to find woman, M?"

M's eyes widened in shock. "I didn't! I had no idea."

"M you're now a widow...that means that you can date. However I don't want you to date, well not anyone but me."

"Bond...I cannot date an agent…"

"But you can date a member of the government, who controls the purse strings to our department?"

"It wasn't like that!"

"Oh really. Then what was it?"

"None of your business, who I see! This is coming out of nowhere, how do you expect me to bloody well take it!?"

"Fine! You're right as usual M." Bond stands and looks down on her, he wants to pull her up kiss her senseless until she changes her mind but...that won't work with her."

Bond moves to the door and M gets up to follow looking confused by her sudden success.

Bond put his hand on the door and was about to turn the knob when he turns to say. "I find it strange you want me gone, yet you follow me to the door as if expecting that good night kiss."

M looked suddenly flustered. "I...was only trying to be polite. Unlike some I know. Who like to break in and help themselves to my liquor when I'm not at home."

Bond smirks and leans towards her as if daring her to move back away from him. M stands her ground as Bonds lips settled on her cheek by her ear. "This is far from over Louisa my darling, lady in red."

M narrowed her eyes at the annoying man with his gorgeous face and that bloody aggravating smirk on his face. Damn him! She would like to wipe that look off his face.

Bond can see that she was about to let go a tirade of epic proportions; so he kissed her, on the lips. With force and surprise enough to stall her movement and her protests. He pulled her up against him and gave her a little of what makes women go weak in the knees, about him.

Bond had no plans on stopping until she made him.

Once the shock and dismay cleared from her mind the anger rose, but so did something else. Something nearly forgotten from the past. An urge from her core, as her stomach fluttered, her heart clenched and the oxygen from her lungs left her.

Desire, primal and instinctive. Regardless of the wall she had built around her heart since Nigel passed, or her stalwart professionalism at work, she wanted Bond.

Moments passed and M painfully became aware that she needed to stop this now, or do something that may irrevocably change the relationship they have...too bloody late for that, but she still had her dignity.

M pushed him away. "Bond!" M wiped her lips with the back of her hand. Smearing red lipstick across her hand. Looking up to see it all over James Bond's perfect ruddy lips.

"Yes, my gorgeous lady in red."

M was still flustered and not ready to reply. She just shook her head and pushed Bond out the door. After he was outside she locked the door and armed the alarm. M's back leaned against the door, as she paused with her hands at her temples and sighed. What the hell was she to do now?

M gathered herself and climbed the stairs to her lonely bedroom. Forget it...it never happened. She would wash it from her mind...eventually. However, her body felt determined to remember the way he felt against her, his lips against hers and his tongue...stop it! Stop it, now!

"Damn man is bound to be insufferable at work tomorrow." M said to herself as she took off the rest of the red lipstick and got ready for bed.


End file.
